44 N. H. Agricultural Experiment Station [Bulletin 266 



crating system. These account for 31.2% of the total current used. 

 The remaining: equipment is more nearly inclined to have neutral qual- 

 ities throughout the year, although it usually has a tendency to show 

 somewhat greater use in summer. Tliis Group 3 is most important to 

 consider as a bulk load producer and uses 48.3% of the total load of 

 the seven farms. 



Considerable variation will be observed in the group totals for tlie 

 ditt'ereiit farms in Table 8. These are accounted for in the make-up 

 of the load, and the various methods employed as described in the pre- 

 vious pages. 



Annual Power Factor on Rural Lines. 



From the above it appears that well equipped farms on rural lines 

 have mucli to commend them from the utility standpoint. Nearl.y 50% 

 of the annual load has approximately a straight-line power factor. Of 

 the two possible tendencies to produce a peak demand, the greatest, 

 31.2%. occurs in the summer monllis when urban and industrial loads 

 are low. The remaining 20.5%, comprising principally lighting, of 

 necessity comes on the system in the cold months. The desirable part 

 of the load is, therefore, approximately 80% of the total. Since about 

 one-half of the Group 3 average total of 48.3% would occur in the 

 summer, this added to the regular summer load of Group 2 of 31.2% 

 would make a total of 55.2%, which might be classed as very desirable 

 from the annual power factor standpoint. The curve of a power com- 

 pany's urban load is characterized by high peaks in the winter, early 

 spring and late fall, and a depression in late spring, summer and early 

 fall. The rural load is peaked at this very time of depression. 



The tendency of the rural load is, therefore, to dovetail witli the ur- 

 ban and produce a total production curve for the company that has 

 that valuable characteristic of approaching equal volume the year 

 around. 



If farmstead and field operations were eliminated so that only the 

 household operations were electrified, the load would bear similar 

 characteristics to that of the city household, as the requirements of 

 these two types of homes have been found to be similar. 



It, therefore, appears that unless the field and farmstead operations 

 are properly developed, a valuable feature of the rural load will be 

 lost, and it will contribute only as increasing the total output witliout 

 improving its character. 



Among these field and farmstead operations is found that element 

 of use which produces the high summer peak on rural lines. Due to 

 the fact that many of these operations require investigation before suc- 

 cessful operation can be obtained, or are not as attractive to sales 

 agencies as the more easily satisfied household re(iuirements, it appears 

 that this field of use is worthy of particular and continued attention. 

 Experience indicates that such proccdui-e would be of great interest to 

 the farm owners as well, as the operations concerned are those which 

 annually cause trouble in the extra short-season labor requirement. 

 Operation by electricity would, in most cases, make tlie labor difficulty 

 of little importance. 



